Tag Archives: mental illness

End The Stigma Of Mental Health With #itaffectsme

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endstigmaofmentalhealth

I am always on the lookout for amazing things, and what could be more amazing than ending the stigma of mental illness? Laura Darrall has created a social media campaign for mental health awareness called #itaffectsme. It is a great campaign and I hope you can get behind it. Here is what Laura has to say: #itaffectsme is going globally viral with the aim of ending the stigma that surrounds mental health and to get Mental Health Education onto the school curriculum. It has celebrities like Tony Gardner and Antonia Laura Thomas already backing it and has reached America, Pakistan, Australia, Canada, Holland and Italy.

We need to get Mental Health Education on the curriculum to give our children a future where they too are unafraid to speak out and ask for help. We teach sex education, physical education so why not Mental Health Education. We teach them the symptoms of chlamydia, herpes, gonorrhoea, so why not OCD, depression and anxiety? 1 in 4 people suffer from mental illness that is 25% of the world’s population. It is staggering and we need to arm our children with knowledge, with compassion and build a world for them where the word “stigma” is extinct.

The idea for #itaffectsme first came to me after I came out the other side of a mental breakdown, six months of panic attacks, anxiety, OCD and depression. I was sat on the edge of my bed and for the first time in months I felt clarity of thought and a fire in my belly and I knew that I had to use it to make a change, to make people unafraid to speak out and to put an end to stigma. But I had no idea how, so I said a prayer, looked over at my desk, spotted the post-its and then it was like a light bulb switched on in my brain, a real Eureka moment, and it has snowballed from there.

I am so overwhelmed and thrilled with the response. If I can get just one person who is suffering to speak out and ask for help then it is worth every single tear I ever shed last year.

If anyone is suffering and is too afraid to speak out, I would say this: Take it ten seconds at a time and do not fear. Help is out there and only by talking and sharing can we find it. And you will come out the other side. You don’t know who else you may help by sharing your own sufferings and surely the one good thing that can come out of suffering is to help someone else when they experience it too. If we share our mental illnesses with people, they can be strong for us when we cannot. And people want to help, they want to hold your hand if you give them the chance. So do, talk to them and give them that chance.

If I could say one thing to my pre-treatment self it would be, “This is temporary”. Because when you are in the pits of mental illness, in a panic attack, an OCD spike, a black hole of depression, it feels like it will never end. But it will, and if you speak out and seek help you will find tools to help you combat it if and when it returns. I know that one day I may find myself attacked by mental illness again but I know that when and if that day comes I will be ready for it, fully armoured and unafraid.
itaffectsme

To take part just take a selfie with a post-it note on the forehead with #itaffectsme written on it, upload it to social media with the link to the Mind donation page, donate and then share.

#itaffectsme is simply the statement the mental illness affects every single one of us, whether directly or indirectly and the selfie is to put faces to it, to stop people being embarrassed or afraid to ask for help. Mental illness has no prejudices about who it affects so we should have no prejudices about it.

www.itaffectsme.co.uk

 

Women’s vulnerability to mental illness may be underestimated by general public

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women's rick of mental health underestimatedWomen’s vulnerability to mental illness may be underestimated by general public, cautions leading scientist.

 

The vulnerability of women to mental illness is being under-estimated by the general public and many mental health professionals too. Two-thirds of people believe that rates of psychological problems are the same in men and women, according to a new survey. Yet research suggests that women are between 20 to 40 per cent more likely than men to suffer mental health issues in any given year.
 
The survey of 500 people (204 men and 296 women) also revealed that most believe men are judged more harshly for showing emotional problems, with 76 percent reporting that a man saying they are miserable or anxious is generally considered worse than a woman saying the same thing.
 
However, while 43 percent of respondents believe that depression is as widespread in men as in women, 40 percent correctly say the condition is twice as prevalent among women. Similarly while 37 percent of those questioned believe rates of anxiety disorder are the same for both sexes, 50 per cent correctly say women are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety as men. Perhaps unsurprisingly, more than 60 per cent of people believe that alcohol problems are more common among men than women. But this is one area where women are more harshly judged with 89 percent stating that a woman getting drunk is generally considered worse than a man doing likewise.
 
The survey was carried out by Professor Daniel Freeman of the University of Oxford, in collaboration with Oxford University Press. Professor Freeman, the author of The Stressed Sex, which addresses the gender imbalance among those suffering mental illness, said: ‘The survey provides a fascinating – and unprecedented – initial insight into everyday beliefs about gender and mental health, and the behaviours that can help determine our psychological wellbeing.’
 
As Professor Freeman points out, the research also highlights the common misconceptions held by both the public and many medical professionals. ‘The respondents underestimated the extent of psychological problems in women – and so do most mental health professionals.
‘The general view seems to be that overall rates of mental health are virtually identical for men and women, but when you examine the results of national health surveys the reality is quite different.
 
He added: ‘Women outnumber men for psychological disorders as a whole. Indeed the most comprehensive of the national surveys suggests rates are almost 50 percent higher in women than in men. However, this is not an issue that receives the attention it deserves.’
 
Boys don’t cry
 
The survey shows that we tend to be much harder on men who express fear or unhappiness than women. Professor Freeman said ‘While girls may be indulged in their fears and worries, boys are taught to overcome them. Big boys don’t cry. It’s not simply a case of boys learning to mask their feelings, though doubtless that happens too: they may actually feel less anxiety. When we avoid what we fear, we deprive ourselves of the opportunity to discover that, in fact, we can handle the situation. And thus our fear is maintained. But if we face up to our fear, it will dwindle and die.”
 
Women’s greater vulnerability to psychological problems, warns Professor Freeman, represents a major public health issue. “The lack of attention given to the issue of gender and mental health is striking – which no doubt helps explain why the survey respondents consistently underestimated the scale of the problem among women. By ignoring this important issue we deprive ourselves of the opportunity to change the situation for the better.”
The Stressed Sex Survey
 
Are men or women more likely to have a psychological disorder?
Men and women have about the same rates: 66%
Women have more: 25%
Men have more: 9.0%
 
Do men or women have more stressful lives?
Men have more stressful lives: 5%
Men and women have equally stressful lives: 77%
Women have more stressful lives: 18%
 
Do rates of depression differ between men and women?
Four times more common in men: 0%
Twice as common in men: 12%
The rate is equal in men and women: 43%
Twice as common in women: 40%
Four times as common in women: 4%
 
Do rates of alcohol disorders differ between men and women?
Six times more common in men: 6%
Three times more common in men: 63%
The rate is equal in men and women: 28%
Three times as common in women: 2%
Six times as common in women: 0.0%
 
Do rates of anxiety differ between men and women?
Four times more common in men: 0%
Twice as common in men: 5%
The rate is equal in men and women: 37%
Twice as common in women: 50%
Four times as common in women: 8%
 
In general, are men and women judged differently for getting drunk?
Men and women are judged equally: 10%
A woman getting drunk is generally considered worse than a man getting drunk: 89%
A man getting drunk is generally considered worse than a woman getting drunk: 1%
 
In general, are men and women judged differently for saying that they are miserable or anxious?
Men and women are judged equally: 15%
A man saying they are miserable or anxious is generally considered worse than a woman saying the same thing: 76%
A woman saying they are miserable or anxious is generally considered worse than a man saying the same thing: 9%
 
Do you think the links between gender and mental health receive sufficient attention from health professionals and the general public?
Yes: 30%
No: 70%
 
 

Top Tips on Independent Film Making from Ollie Kepler’s Expanding Purple World

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5 top tips for shooting an independent film

 

Arnold Maude, Associate Producer on Ollie Kepler’s Expanding Purple World, shares his light-hearted tips to ensure you keep your sanity and things run smoothly when shooting an independent production:

1.       Cleanliness is next to Godliness: Have enough clean clothes for the duration of the shoot. You may think you can recycle but depending on the conditions of the shoot this could be an unpopular choice with the rest of the crew!

 

2.       Location, location, location: When scouting for locations consider transport and parking. If you’re filming in the capital Film London can help but if you’re going off the beaten track you may find yourself stuck feeding meters.

 

3.       Hello? Is anyone home? You don’t want to turn up on the first day of filming and find yourself unable to access your location – especially not with crew waiting and your actors due to appear. Make sure you not only have the phone number of the key-holder but also his flatmate’s number and that of a handy neighbour. Just in case. Is this paranoia or experience?

 

4.       You’ve got mail: As you begin preproduction you will receive an ever-increasing deluge of emails which will pile up like a tanker load of poured concrete. Start organising your email folders now when it’s quiet because when things get going it’ll be like feeding a troop of monkeys all screaming for your attention.

 

5.       Friends with benefits: Don’t cast your friends, at least not in a main role (unless you’re friends with Hugh Grant or similar in which case my advice to them is not to act in your film). This is about credibility, casting your mate is a good way to lose any you may have. Casting actors who may not necessarily be famous but of whom the industry is aware makes you a more credible proposition.

 

Ollie Kepler’s Expanding Purple World is screening at select cinemas across the country from Monday 18th Feb – Thursday 21st Feb, the independent production by Fruitcake Films is unlike most artistic representations of mental illness.  www.olliekepler.com

 

And because we are feeling generous….5 (more) top tips for shooting an independent film

 

There are a range of legal barriers and production problems you might encounter when working on an independent film project. Arnold Maude, Associate Producer on Ollie Kepler’s Expanding Purple World, shares his top five tips to avoid the most costly errors:

 

1.       Digital Production: Learn as much as you can about the technical side of production. As digital production becomes ever more dominant if you don’t know the lay of the land you are going to get lost in the binary jungle. Get a guide if you can. You don’t need to remember the specifics but an understanding of the issues and processes involved will be invaluable.

 

2.       Credibility: Credibility is one of the most useful things to have when putting together a film. If you can afford it, one of the easiest ways of establishing credibility is to join the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT). PACT membership signals you are guaranteeing a level of professionalism as you must meet certain minimum production standard. Membership will establish your production as a serious one.

 

3.       Soundtrack: If you have heard a song on the radio you can’t afford it – even if the band says you can use the song, they won’t own the rights. You need two sets of rights – the Synch rights and the Master Use license. This is where unsigned bands shine. They can be very generous and are often just happy that you want to use their music. Pay them something; even if it’s only a token.

 

4.       Cameras: I’ve seen people agonise over what camera they should use before they had even written the script! There’s not much point in trying to figure this out in advance of preproduction as you will eventually discuss it with your Director of Photography. Technology moves on at such a pace it’s pretty nigh impossible to predict what the situation will be in a years time. By the time you get into preproduction an entire new generation of digital equipment could be available.

 

5.       Script Clearance: If you want to sell your film in the US you will need to have the script cleared by a specialist agency and then have a lawyer look over the report. The US is an incredibly litigious nation and if, for example, you accidentally use the name of an existing business then you open yourself up to a possible lawsuit. For protection against legal action you’ll need script clearance in order to obtain Errors and Omissions insurance.

We Need To Talk About Gun Control

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The news of mass shootings in America has become a depressingly common occurrence. Each time the same thing happens: the debate on gun control.

This year two of the worst shootings happened in America, in a Colorado theatre and a Connecticut elementary school. This excellent Washington Post article has a run down of shootings in America for 2012. What is really interesting about the article is that it tells you what type of gun was used in each shooting. Some of these shootings were done with military assault rifles or automatic weapons. To have a gun is one thing, but for a civilian to buy this type of weapon, which only purpose is to kill people, is something that should be re-examined. In fact it was former President George W Bush that allowed a federal ban on assault weapons to expire in 2004 when he was president. President Obama has previously mentioned his support for a ban on assault weapons.

Yes, I did say those guns are used to only kill people. Aren’t all guns for that? Well, no. Farmers need guns, guns can be used for shooting clays, or animals. For hunting and even for protection. I am not pro-gun, but I do not think the issue is as clear as the hordes on Twitter and Facebook think it is. If you make guns illegal in America then there is an obvious problem: you drive the gun trade underground and people who want to protect themselves would not be able to legally own a gun. I don’t want to live in a world where only the bad people have guns.

On the same day of the mass shooting in Newton there was a similar attack on children in China, but with a knife as a weapon instead. No children actually died in the China attack, but there have been fatalities in similar attacks. it does raise a point: a gun is only a weapon when a human being is holding it. But so is anything else when there is an intention to kill.

President Barack Obama promised “meaningful action”, after the Connecticut shooting. Also saying, “As a country, we have been through this too many times.”

The fact is that most gun legislation is set by states rather than federal government, and Connecticut has relatively tight firearms restrictions by US standards. Some people are saying that the shootings are a mental health problem rather than a gun problem, but what is abundantly clear is that tighter regulation is needed.

According to a 2012 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the US has 3.2 firearms homicides per 100,000 population compared with 1.6 for Canada, 1.0 for Australia and 0.1 for England and Wales,

There are an estimated 300m guns in America, nearly one for every one of the 315m Americans in America, and the National Rifle Association (NRA) has more than 4m members. America is a nation where guns are embedded into it’s very foundation, there constitution even declares the ‘right to bear arms’, even if guns were banned where would all these guns go? What is clear is that we have to talk about gun control, but solving the problem will not be easy.